Today was the big day to have my pre-surgery physical exam and testing to determine if I really would get a new hip next week. It’s been about two months in the planning, but I’m happy to report that I passed! Because of the doctor changing hospitals and all of the delays, I was feeling the surgery was never going to happen. I hate these kind of days.
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Tonight’s photos are from my roving time yesterday on the refuge. Dew on a young longleaf pine.
I was pretty calm until I got about five miles away from my first appointment. I could feel my blood pressure rising as I neared the orthopedic office. I’m sure some of you know that feeling in the pit of your stomach when dealing with doctors and nurses. I wish it wasn’t so.
It took about an hour to go through that initial exam, and then I was sent off to the Mayo hospital for further testing. Each person I talked to asked the same questions, but I was prepared for that.
I figured I would be poked and prodded, and I was. Blood draws, urine sample, and an EKG were done. There was one test, however, that took me by surprise.
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Hermit Thrush in the understory.
At one point, a nurse took a long wooden Q-tip to swab my nostrils. I’ve never had that done before. I was told it was to check to see if I had a staph infection. The thing that popped into my mind as she did it was that old insult “Up your nose with a rubber hose!”
I also met with the anesthesiologist, and he assured me that I would be in La La land next Tuesday. The distance between different tests at the hospital was daunting. I was thrilled when they plopped me in a wheel chair and took me from place to place. When it was all done, they even wheeled me out to my car. You can’t imagine the amount of pain that saved me from. I was very thankful.
By the time I left, my blood pressure was down to normal again. It should be fine until that drive into the hospital next Tuesday…
Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later, Judy
